Courtesy photo

Gov. Asa Hutchinson on Wednesday announced a state partnership with Walmart and Quest Laboratories to open a pilot drive-thru testing center in Bentonville focused on first responders and healthcare workers with COVID-19 symptoms.

“This will put a focal point on (healthcare workers) to make sure they have immediate access to testing if they need it,” said Hutchinson during his daily coronavirus briefing.

Hutchinson said an app is in the works to help healthcare workers perform a self-screening process to determine if they meet the criteria for being tested at the drive-thru site.

If the pilot project is successful, Hutchinson said the hope is that more drive-thru centers can be opened in other parts of the state.

As of Wednesday afternoon, the number of positive COVID-19 tests had reached 584, an increase of 61 since Tuesday afternoon. Of those cases, 56 patients are hospitalized, 25 are on ventilators, and 10 have died.